We have a brief update in the case of the standoff and officer-involved shooting on I-80 that shut down the freeway for much of last Wednesday. As CBS 5 reports, a total of 13 officers from two police departments fired multiple rounds at 45-year-old Demilo Hodge, who had led them on a chase following an attempted traffic stop in Fairfield, and one officer had first fired non-lethal rounds at the suspect.
Hodge was wanted in connection with the December 10, 2015 homicide of 68-year-old William Freeman of Fairfield, as the Solano Daily Republic tells us. At the time, the Fairfield Police Department released sketches of two suspects, one of whom was a black male in a hoodie. Freeman was found dead in his home during a welfare check, and police did not believe it to be a random act of violence. More details in the case, like how Hodge may have been connected to Freeman, have yet to be released.
Hodge's vehicle, a black Chevrolet Suburban that he used as part of a wine country limo service he owned, was spotted in Fairfield around 8:40 a.m. on September 27, and officers there attempted to pull him over. He led them on a chase to the East Bay, where Richmond Police officers joined in the chase when he passed through their jurisdiction. (Earlier reports suggested Hodge was first spotted in Richmond.)
Over a dozen officers from both departments chased him south on I-80, where CHP officers laid a spike strip down in Berkeley that ultimately disabled Hodge's vehicle. After he collided with a median barrier, Hodge's SUV came to a stop in the middle of the freeway in Emeryville, where a trained crisis negotiator had what's described as a "lengthy" exchange with Hodge.
What followed sounds like the phenomenon of "suicide by cop." Hodge suddenly exited his vehicle, raised a gun, and allegedly fired a shot in the direction of the line of squad cars. 13 officers then unleashed the barrage of bullets captured on multiple cellphone cameras by motorists who were stopped on both sides of the freeway. He was fatally wounded and succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
Police say suspect who led them on chase down I-80 fired at officers 1st prompting them to fire back. Scary moments for commuters. Watch... pic.twitter.com/oN23Z7XuAA
— Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandezTV) September 27, 2017
Emeryville Police and the Alameda County District Attorney's Office are each conducting their own investigations into the shooting, the results of which we will not likely hear for weeks or months.
Per CBS 5, the names of all the officers who fired shots have been released:
The Fairfield police officers who fired their department-issued guns included Sgt. Brent Pucci, with 20 years of law enforcement experience; Sgt. Kelly Rombach, with 16 years of experience; Officer John Divine, with 13 years of experience; Officer Erik Aagaard, with 12 years of experience; Officer Shane Raftery, with 4 years of experience; and Officer James Sehr, with 3 years of experience.Officer Michael Ambrose, with 7 years of experience, was the officer who deployed the less-lethal weapons, according to department spokesman Sgt. Matt Bloesch.
The Richmond police officers who fired their weapons included Sgt. D Decious, with 16 years of experience; Sgt. C. Llamas, with 15 years experience; Detective A. Diaz, with 9 years of experience; Detective M. Ricchutto, with 6 years of experience; Officer B. Mendler, with 9 years of experience; Officer O. Guzman, with 5 years of experience; and Officer C. Tagorda, with 10 years of experience.
Previously: Man Killed By Police On I-80 Was Fairfield Homicide Suspect; Witnesses On Freeway Sought